Testing Cup clash looms for Progress
Uitenhage outfit aiming to bounce back
PROGRESS will have to dig deep when they lock horns with East London club rugby giants Swallows in the Gold Cup competition at the WJ de Wet Stadium in Despatch on Sunday.
Progress have yet to prove themselves worthy opponents after a disappointing 54-27 loss against wildcards Tygerberg in Cape Town on Sunday last week.
The Progress pack lacked the ability defensively to match their opponents and they will be looking to beef up their forwards.
Mental strength will be of utmost importance when they take on the Mdantsane side who won their East London derby against Old Selbornians.
Swallows enter this week’s encounter on a high after taking the second position on the log with a bonus point in the bag.
They will be hoping their hefty forwards seal the job against the speedy Progress backline.
Progress will want to ensure that their decision-making at the breakdown is up to scratch as they face a Swallows team who are clinical on defence.
In addition, a lack of control in the backline has cost the Uitenhage side dearly and they will need to show an improvement as the competition progresses.
They will want to strike early against the experienced Swallows in an effort to secure the points for a win.
Consistency in executing their game-plan could be the key to them walking away with their first win of the competition.
Looking back on last week’s match, Progress coach Mervin Samuels said: “We have gone back to the drawing board and worked on some crucial aspects of our game-plan.
“We just need to make better decisions when attacking and to also remember the importance of sticking to our game-plan.
The Uitenhage side are in fourth position on the pool C log with one point, while Swallows are second with five points.
Tygerberg are at the top of the log with five points and a 27-point difference.
Old Selbornians are in third position with two points, while Progress from George will begin their campaign tomorrow.
The George team will be up against the dominant Tygerberg side at the Rosemore Stadium in George.
The kickoff for the match between the Uitenhage side and Swallows is 2pm.
‘ We just need to make better decisions when attacking